I am reminded of the awful task of finding Alice and me a place to live, after Michael gave us no choice but to leave, six months into her life. We searched for somewhere to live without knowing what our budget would be. Michael had taken it upon himself to remove me from the workforce, trying to limit my ability to leave him. It didn’t stop me, though. I was so glad I had squirreled away five thousand in cash to help get us started. I got out with Alice before anything could happen to her. But now Michael has started what he never had the guts to do back then, and Alice is in danger.
I remember the tiny one-bedroom apartments with their paper-thin walls and odd smells. As soon as I realized that living closer to the city would cost me more, I decided to move Alice and I further out, until I found the perfect community. It would make visits with Michael harder than they needed to be, but at least I could manage our finances until I could gain employment.
“Alice? You in there, sweetie?” Gus was putting on his best voice for a little girl to respond to. My only worry was that Alice had come across too many people today. “Nothing in this one,” he said.
We were too far away from where I had felt the connection to Alice. None of these empty apartments would hold her. She had to be in something that was near 701. I just knew it.
“Okay. These are all occupied,” Gus said, “but the next few are empty.”
I stopped him with a single hand on his bicep as I felt a twitch of pain hit my head. “She’s not in any of them.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t explain it, but I could feel her. I sensed her before, when we were in 701. She’s somewhere near there, I just know it.” I shake my head as I close my eyes. I must sound insane.
“Where do you think she might be?” Gus asks. “Apart from Mrs. Stellar’s apartment, they are all taken in that area. All that’s left is Desmond’s apartment. But surely he wouldn’t go there?”
It hits me like a wall of bricks. “No, he wouldn’t, but there’s one other apartment close by with no one in it.”
Gus’s mouth falls open as he waits to hear what I have to say. “Which one?”
I almost kick myself for not trying it to begin with. I stare at Gus. “Alan’s.”
Forty
I stand outside Alan’s apartment while Gus readies his key card for access. I can feel Alice’s presence stronger than ever. It pains me to think that we didn’t try this door before any others. Desmond would have been desperate when we were on his tail. It wasn’t the best hiding place, but it was still a location that could contain a child.
I take in a deep breath and exhale as the door unlocks when Gus swipes his card. I know she’s inside. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.
“Are you okay?” Gus asks me, before I take a single step forward. I turn to him with a tight smile. “I will be.”
He returns my smile with a nod. I take a step forward but he grabs my shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for more police to arrive? We don’t know what we’re going to find in there.”
I place a hand on top of his as I shake my head. “I have to do this, no matter what’s in there, okay?”
He steps aside. I shake off the twisted thoughts that have entered my mind because of his caution and move inside Alan’s apartment. Now isn’t the time to let my imagination take control and think up the worst possibilities.
It seems different as I stroll inside—bigger without all those people cramming it. I feel like I’m seeing it for the first time. My gaze flicks to the dining and kitchen area, and to the mess I made tearing the place apart. Alan’s life is laid out for the world to see. Years of existence fill the space in the form of framed photographs and memorabilia. Every part of Alan’s history is spread out on display. I see the clubs he belongs to, his love of fishing, his obsession with American muscle cars, his medical bills.
This last item brings me to a stop. Is that why he agreed to help Michael? For a payday he so sorely needed? I think about Desmond, and how Alan might have pressured him into helping out his old man in a time of need. I could imagine the conversation. Alan could have used any number of lines. “I’ve given you a job and a place to live. You owe me.” Could a father really sink that low? But I know it is possible. Today has shown me just that.
I push aside Alan’s life and continue past the living space to the single bedroom that finishes off the small apartment. I come to a closed door and pause. My hand begins to shake as I reach for the knob. I grab hold of my wrist and steady it with a deep breath in and out. Now is not the time for this.
“Erika?” Gus asks from behind.
“I’m fine,” I say without looking back. “I just need a second.”
He doesn’t respond as I glance down and reach for the knob again. I grab hold and twist it slowly, not wanting to disturb or scare Alice. The door gently swings open, making the smallest creak as it reaches the wall inside.
The double bed is tucked away to the side, maximizing the space. Alan has drawn the blackout curtains closed, throwing the room into deep darkness, enough for the lightest of sleepers to get some shut-eye. I step inside and see a figure in the bed.
I drop to my knees as I carefully approach her. The figure is small, matching Alice’s size. It has to be her. I know in my soul that my Bunny is here before me, waiting to be saved.
Is she alive?
Only time will tell what fate has in store.
She is asleep on her side. I see the tiny rise and fall of her chest and belly and know that she’s breathing. Her long hair half covers her face, so I brush it gently aside and smile down upon Alice’s innocent features.
Gus stands in the doorframe. I look up to him and nod as tears fill my eyes. “It’s her,” I whisper. “She’s okay.”
He smiles back at me with a few tears of his own. “I told you we’d find her,” he says.
“Thank you,” is all I can say in return. I face my Bunny again and see her in the deepest sleep of her life. She has no doubt had the worst time ever and will need to sleep for twelve hours straight. I feel the lure of my bed at home, and the fatigue finally hits my brain in the form of a headache.
But I can’t rest now. I need to get Alice to a doctor to see if she’s okay. I don’t know if Desmond had enough brains to keep her safe or not.
I remember that a police officer is currently chasing Desmond through the building as I stare at Alice. All I can hope is that Desmond and Michael both get what’s coming to them. Alan had already been punished, as far as I’m concerned.
Alice stirs a little in the bed but remains asleep. Her movement reminds me of what is important—more so than revenge or justice. Michael and Desmond will be caught, one way or the other. Right now, I need to focus on Alice and get her home in one piece.
I gently scoop my hands underneath her body and lift her up. I place her head on my shoulder and pat her hair, making sure she remains asleep. She is so out of it that she doesn’t wake up.
I walk toward Gus as he steps back and out of the way. He allows me to leave the apartment first, opting to escort us safely out while the manhunt for Desmond continues.
As we reach the hallway, the police officer comes through from the stairwell door. I turn to face him, seeing sweat covering his forehead. He sees me with Alice and quietly approaches.
“Are you okay, ma’am?”
“Yes, thank you, Officer. We found her in Alan Bracero’s apartment. That’s Desmond’s father.” I go on to explain what happened to Alan, and the relationship he and his kidnapper son had in secret within the building. I thought about walking away to focus on Alice, but the words flow freely out of my mouth. The officer needs to know everything. What if Michael tries this again? What if he gets away with today? I go on to tell the officer about Michael and my thoughts on his involvement.
The officer takes it all down without much surprise. Either he has seen this happen before, or something has happened to convince himself I’m telling him the truth.
“Can I ask where Desmond is?”
Officer Mason lets out his breath through his nostrils. “Unconscious and cuffed to a pipe. I was forced to knock him out cold on the roof when I found him. He attempted to attack me with a knife, shouting something about not wanting to go back to prison.”
My mouth hangs open. “Oh my God. Are you okay, Officer? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, ma’am. More importantly, is your little girl okay? Does she need medical attention?”
“I think she’s okay. I just need to take her home. I’ll take her to our local doctor for a full checkup and then straight to bed. I just want her to rest after the hell of a few hours we’ve had.”
“Fair enough,” Mason says. “Normally, I’d need her checked by an EMT first and to take your statement. Seeing as you’ve both had a rough day why don’t we escort you down to the lobby and call you a cab? We can sort everything out later.”
Gus and the officer guide us to the elevator. I shudder at the thought of going inside. I don’t want to take it, but I can’t carry Alice down seven floors to the ground.
We ride in silence as the elevator falls gently to the bottom of the building without a single shudder. It only proves to me that Desmond did something to make it stop near level seven, so he could take Alice from me. I keep my eyes closed the entire time.
I shake my head in disgust as I wonder how much it cost Michael to pay for Alice to be kidnapped. What was the life of a child worth to a father who only saw his offspring as a possession? It didn’t matter, in the end. The police would catch up with him the second he showed up. If he ever showed up.
The lobby greets us with open arms. I see Henry at the reception desk, speaking with some more police officers. Mason rushes ahead and directs them where they need to go. I imagine the roof will need to be secured along with Alan and Desmond’s apartments. Michael’s will also be on the list, without a doubt.
Mason comes back to me as his co-workers head toward the elevator. “We’ve got things covered from here. Some detectives will be around to your home later in the day, as soon as we’ve processed this mess. They just need to go over your statement for the record.”
“That’s no problem. I’ll write down my address for you.”
Mason hands over his notepad and pen. I jot down my details in a hurry, leaning over Alice’s shoulder. I still can’t remember my phone number, not that it matters. I’ll need a new cell to replace my missing one. But I have what is important, what could never be replaced: my daughter.
“You’re free to leave,” Mason says.
“Thank you, Officer,” I say.
“Just doing my job, ma’am.” Mason walks toward Henry. I stare at the receptionist and give him a stern look that says everything it needs to. If only he’d called the police sooner, like he promised, things would be different. Gus was the only one who really deserved praise.
The head of maintenance comes to stand by my side. “She’s really asleep,” he says as he stares at Alice.
“Long day,” I say, as the fatigue begins to take hold.
“Mason asked me to call you a cab.” Gus pulls out his cell and dials the number. He speaks to a dispatcher and tells me a cab is on its way.
“So, what do you think will happen to Michael, assuming he’s behind all of this?” Gus asks.
I stare at the ground. I am struggling to come to grips with what he has done. How could a father stoop so low? After everything we went through together, how could he have thought this was the best thing for Alice? If he had found it in himself to forgive me for her birth, things wouldn’t have been this way. All of this pain could have been avoided.
“To be honest, Gus, I don’t care. As long as he is out of our lives forever, I’m happy. Sure, we’ll struggle without his money to support Alice, but we’ll find a way. We always do.”
Gus smiles out of the corner of his mouth. “If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”
We sit down near the front of the lobby, waiting for the cab. I listen as Gus tells me about his kids and his wife. It’s nice just to sit and hear about a happy family, instead of focusing on the negative life I’ve been forced to live these past few years.
The cab pulls up amongst all the police cruisers. “That’s my ride,” I say. Gus helps me up while Alice continues to sleep on my shoulder. I can feel her weight starting to get to me, but we’ll be on our way in a moment. The image of home beckons me onward.
As we head for the exit, Alice begins to stir. “Mommy?” she asks, her voice groggy.
“I’m here for you, baby. Go back to sleep.”
Alice places her head back down and settles into my shoulder. I turn to Gus and repeat my thanks. He helps me through the exit and sends me on my way with a smile.
I climb into the cab and place Alice in beside me as best I can, so she can keep sleeping. I give the driver our address and ask him to take it extra cautiously. We’re not in a rush.
Alice wakes again for a moment. “Where are we going, Mommy?” Her eyes only open a sliver before they close again.
“Back home, Bunny, away from this place.”
Alice wrinkles her brow for a moment and snuggles into me, falling back asleep within seconds.
Forty-One
Officer Mason
Officer Mason had his hands full, trying to direct his people in the right direction as more and more personnel showed up to help with the developing crime scene. Parts of the building had to be locked down to cope with the process. The maintenance man named Gus helped wherever he could, while Mason remained in the lobby with the receptionist and a few other officers in case Michael Walls returned home.
“I’m sorry for any trouble I’ve caused today,” said Henry to Mason.
“Don’t beat yourself up, kid. You did what you thought was right. Besides, it all worked out in the end. That mother couldn’t be stopped. She was a powerful force.”
Henry’s eyes fell to the floor. “I’ll say.”
Mason nodded as he scanned the lobby again, making sure the area was secure. He turned back to Henry. “Do you have kids?” he asked.
“No.”
“I do. You don’t know this until you see their faces for the first time, but you’d do anything to protect them from harm. You’d give up your life if it meant they could live another day longer in this screwed-up world. How any parent could arrange all of this crap today is beyond me. I sure as hell hope this guy hasn’t done what he’s been accused of.”
“It’s crazy,” Henry said. “I never imagined Mr. Walls would do something like this. He didn’t seem the type.”
“They never do, kid. They never do.”
Mason took a few steps forward and squinted as he saw the man they were speaking of, Michael Walls, casually approaching the building without a care in the world. “Act normal, Henry. He’s coming right now. Make sure he has access to the building. We don’t want a big scene to unfold on the sidewalk, do we?”
“No, we don’t.”
Mason signaled to the two officers he had placed by the lobby doors. They got into position and waited for Michael to walk inside. Mason stared at the arrogant man in his expensive-looking suit as he strolled into the building with confidence. He didn’t seem to care that the apartment complex was surrounded by police cruisers.
“Got you now, asshole,” Mason muttered.
Once Michael was halfway to the reception desk, Mason gave his officers the signal to move in. Mason stepped out in front.
“Mr. Walls. Can I have a minute of your time?”
Michael stopped in his tracks and looked at the officer. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
“That depends,” Mason said.
Before Michael could determine what Mason meant, the two officers had surrounded him. They drew their pistols.
“Don’t move, or we’ll shoot!” one of them yelled. Michael turned around to see two weapons trained on his body. His hands shot up straight into the air. The officers orde
red him to interlace his fingers around the back of his head and fall to his knees. They restrained him in moments.
“What is this?” Michael yelled, as Mason came over. “I’m a lawyer. I’ll have you all suspended for this.”
“I’d advise you to keep a lid on it,” Mason said as he squatted down. He proceeded to shout out Michael’s Miranda rights on autopilot. Michael didn’t want to hear it.
“What is the meaning of this? I demand to know what is going on, right now.”
Mason scoffed. “Don’t pretend you don’t know. Your little scheme to kidnap your daughter has fallen apart. We’ve got the guy you paid to take her—he’s unconscious on the roof. He’s under arrest, of course. Not sure if that puts a damper on your plans.”
“What are you talking about?”
Mason laughed. “It’s a bit late to play the innocent card, my friend. Your ex-wife unraveled your plans. She’s got Alice with her now.”
“Oh my God,” Michael muttered. “You can’t be serious? Erika was here?”
“Yes. And I gotta say, next time you try to pull something like this, you might want to do things a little smarter. Your guy got real sloppy.”
“No, no, no. This isn’t happening.”
“Afraid so, pal.” Mason started walking away from Michael.
“Officer wait.”
Mason stopped. This was the part where the criminal got desperate and offered him a bribe or tried to tell him that it was all a big misunderstanding. But Michael was going to need to do some smooth talking to convince Mason that he was innocent.
“You have to hear me out.”
Mason stepped a few paces back toward Michael and kneeled down. “I’m listening.”
“Okay. I haven’t paid some guy to kidnap anyone. I haven’t been hatching a scheme to get past Erika. This is all a huge mistake.”
“That’s all you’ve got? I’m going to need to hear more than that. Erika found Alice and has taken her home. Desmond Bracero is up on the roof in handcuffs, unconscious. His father, Alan, is in the hospital with a fractured skull.”
The Day I Lost You: A totally gripping psychological thriller Page 20
